• Washington, June 20, 2019 •

A new online exhibit on the German Heritage in Letters site provides an innovative look at the history of the German diaspora through the story of cousins Charles Haase and Leopold Haase. Originally from Anhalt, both men emigrated from Germany in early adulthood-- Charles to Richmond, Virginia, and Leopold to the city now known as Tallinn, Estonia, but which at the time was known as Reval and was located in imperial Russia. The two cousins carried on a family tradition of working in the fur industry, and thus carried on a lengthy correspondence combining business and family news. The new exhibit, titled “The Trader of Reval,” takes a look at the centuries-long history of the Baltic German community, the destabilizing effects of “Russianization” initiatives in the late nineteenth century, and how Leopold Haase and his family coped with increasing uncertainty in the wake of Russia's 1905 revolution.

Leopold Haase (seated, center) and his family

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